Outer Banks Real Estate: June 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

617 Sea Oats Court Corolla, NC 27927

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Home Site in Duck 0 Nash Road, NC 27949

0 Nash Road Duck, NC 27949 Area: Duck Westside Subdivision:
Listing Price:	$115,000
MLS#:	73928
Lot Square Footage:	22000
Listing Date:	05/20/2011
Waterfront Location:	N/A
Ocean/Sound Loc:	N/A

Agent Remarks: Excellent opportunity to own a homesite in Duck. Short walk down Plover to the beach access. Easy access to the Village of Duck shopping. This nicely wooded lot is a great spot for your new beach home. Take advantage of the trees for added privacy

Explore the Duck Boardwalk

The Town of Duck is such a fantastic place to live. One of the things I treasure is the ability to visit stores and restaurants on foot without the use of a car. The Town Park and boardwalk are located in the center of Duck on the soundside. The boardwalk is open from dawn till 1:00 a.m.

Photo Courtesy: Town of Duck

According to The Town of Duck website the boardwalk cost $479,849 to construct, is ten feet wide and held up by around 393 pilings that are inserted 8 feet into the ground. The boardwalk is 3,500 feet and the first phases of the boardwalk were completed in 2009 with the most recent phase just completed.

Most of Duck’s shops and restaurants are connected by the Duck Trail or by the boardwalk. If you take a stroll on Duck’s beautiful boardwalk you’ll find all types of shops as to explore and fantastic restaurants to visit. You will find anything from books, clothing, art, kayaks, candy and toys.

Some great places to visit near the Boardwalk:

Ducks Cottage: A coffee and book store – I highly recommend the Mucky Duck.
SeaDragon Gallery: A shop that promotes American artisans that specialize in jewelry, pottery, glass, metal and wood. Artwork by local artists as well as nationwide.
BluePoint: Regional, coastal cuisine and southern hospitality alongside spectacular views of the Currituck Sound. Everything is delicious!
DuckDonuts: Freshly made cake donuts – you pick your topping, guaranteed you will stop by more than once.
DocksideN’ Duck: Family owned and operated they provide fresh seafood as well as fresh baked goods and sides and supplies for all your cooking needs.

For a complete listing of shops and located in the Town of Duck click on Town of Duck Visitors Map. To view all the amazing aerial photos of Duck go to the Town of Duck Facebook page.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

109 Baldpate Drive Duck, NC 27949

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

121 Acorn Oak Avenue Duck, NC

What is a Sand Dollar?

Don’t you just love Sand Dollars? It is such a treat to find a “whole” one while walking on the beach hunting for sea shells. We all know what the sand dollar looks like, they are usually small, white and round, unless they are broken. So what exactly is a sand dollar?

Before you find them on the beach, when they are alive they are a dark color covered with short dark spines. The spines on the sand dollar are movable and the sand dollar uses the spines to move around the sea bottom or to push food into their mouth.

Photo credit TerryMcT photo stream

Sand dollars belong to a family of marine animals that are known as echinoderms, which inhabit all the world's oceans and can live in both the shallow and deep-ocean floor. Other marine animals in this family are the (starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and feather stars). They are invertebrates which mean they do not have a spine.

According to Starfish.ch “Echinoderms are characterized by radial symmetry, several arms (5 or more, mostly grouped 2 left - 1 middle - 2 right) radiating from a central body (= pentamerous). The body actually consists of five equal segments, each containing a duplicate set of various internal organs. They have no heart, brain, nor eyes, but some brittle stars seem to have light sensitive parts on their arms.”

Sand dollars like to live on smooth sandy or muddy ocean bottoms. They prefer to live in shallow areas near land. They like to burrow in the sand in heavy currents and even eat sand grains to increase their weight so they don’t get washed away.

If you find a sand dollar on the beach and it is white then it is a safe bet that the sand dollar is no longer living. It is best to take the steps to preserve the sand dollar so it will last you for years to come and you won’t have an odor associated with them.

To Preserve and Harden a Sand Dollar:

1- Soak them in fresh water. The water will turn a brownish color and possibly even smell. It is best to change the water frequently. Do not go onto step 2 till the water remains clear.

2- Next soak them in a solution of bleach and water. Let them soak for about 10 minutes.

3- After you remove them from the bleach water, rinse in fresh water and air dry in the sun. The sun will help bleach the sand dollar.

If you soak the sand dollars too long in bleach they can crumble. Bleach weakens a sand dollar so it is best not to soak them more than twice.

To Harden a Sand Dollar: Mix together white glue and water in equal portions. Take a sponge brush and completely cover the sand dollars with the glue mixture. Then let dry. After they are preserved and hardened then you can use your sand dollars for decorations or even craft projects.

Monday, June 25, 2012

765 Myrtle Court Corolla, NC 27927

Best Buys on the Outer Banks for the week of June 25th!!!

MLS#75292 – Awesome 4^th row home in Whalehead with a 9% rental return. It has everything you need! $900,000

MLS#75277 – Excellent home, VERY WELL cared for in Sanderling. Walk in and ready to go! $439,900

MLS#75253 – Need a single level home at the beach! This is a cutie in Nags Head Westside…$349,900

MLS#75340 – Your own estate at the beach. This property is nearly 3 acres with a custom designed home and water frontage! $949,000

MLS#74211 – Here’s a deal! Bank Owned Semi-Oceanfront lot ready for your new home! $309,900

MLS#73893 – Charming 2 bedroom in Nags Head with NO STEPS! One level living for only $164,900.

Friday, June 22, 2012

1126 Persimmon Street Corolla, NC 27927

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Explore Duck, NC

Duck, NC is located on the north end of The Outer Banks. Duck is a great town to explore on a vacation getaway or live year round. The charm of Duck is you can explore the area by foot or on a bike. Everything is located close together and easy to get too.

There are so many delightful shops, from bookshops, art galleries, souvenirs and more. If you enjoy the water you can find all kinds of water adventures from windsurfing, jet skiing, kayaking and fishing. The Town of Duck has a beautiful town park that includes 11 acres of trails, swamps, soundside views and plenty of green space. The town park includes a playground, picnic area, public canoe/kayak launch as well as fun family friendly summer events.

In the town park you have access to the boardwalk which allows you to stroll through shopping areas, dining establishments or lovely views of the sound. Not to be missed is Duck’s annual 4^th of July Parade, A fantastic family parade that includes something for everyone. To discover other events for Duck check out their event page.

If you like great food you will find a variety of fare from seafood, steak, bakeries and donuts. You can find casual dining all the way to fine dining to please everyone in your crowd. If you want to prepare your own feast you can head on over to our local gourmet market and wine store.

If you are looking to be spoiled you can find four spas in our area or even have someone come to you. The best part of Duck is our beautiful beaches where you can spend hours playing in the waves, soaking up the sun or hunting for sea shells. Whatever you decide to do while visiting Duck, you are guaranteed to make lifelong memories that will have you returning year after year or looking for a home so you can call Duck home.

Potentially damaging news on the Mid Currituck Bridge

Happy Summer!

The summer solstice starts today and boy is it here with a vengeance! It’s a HOT 94 degrees on the Banks today with only a mild breeze and a wall of humidity. The towns are alive with activity, guests and owners alike. So far, a very good start to the 2012 season.

From a real estate sales perspective, good news abounds! Interest rates are at yet ANOTHER historic low and all reports say the same thing…it’s not changing any time soon. That plus today’s affordable prices are no doubt contributing to the 24% increase in number of sales so far Year To Date. It’s by far the best time in generations to buy a home on the Outer Banks. Consider it the “Perfect Storm” if you will – the lowest rates, excellent prices and strong rental income. You definitely have to ask how often this opportunity comes around!

Last bit of news to report isn’t as positive if you are a supporter of the Mid Currituck County Bridge. According to Willo Kelly, the Chief Legislative Advisor for the Outer Banks Association of Realtors, there’s trouble-a-brewing in a recent scandal in Raleigh. Her report:

“Not so good news. If you haven't seen today's Raleigh N&O headlines, check it out. Perdue is in HOT water and the Mid-Currituck Bridge gap funding that has been removed from the budget may never be replaced as a result. We will have to wait and see how this will impact the overall public/private partnership project. It could mean doom for it altogether.”

For a link to the NC Turnpike Authority website specific to this project click here.

Be sure to contact me for any updates about Outer Banks events or if you have any interest in buying or selling a home on our beautiful Island!

Thank you!

1205 Windance Lane Corolla, NC 27927

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

3 Ninth Avenue Southern Shores, NC 27949

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

This Week's Best Buys on the Outer Banks!

MLS#75203 – Here’s a great buy in Whalehead with excellent rentals! $699,000

MLS#75199 – Remodeled in the heart of DUCK! Cute place, great price. $329,000

MLS#75265 – HUGE Semi-Oceanfront in Nags Head, furnished and BANK OWNED with an 11% CAP rate. $699,900

MLS#75197 – You’ll love this 4^th row beauty in Southern Shores. Must see! $849,000

MLS#72743 – 4^th row with a pool in the beautiful Villages at Ocean Hill. $575,000

MLS#73778 – Great views, great elevation, great house, great price in Kitty Hawk 2 lots off the beach! $454,900

106 Oceanwatch Court Nags Head, NC 27959

Top 5 Activities to do In the Outer Banks

When you visit the Outer Banks sometimes it is hard to decide what activities you should take on besides sunning on the beautiful beaches. After all most people have a week to see everything unless you buy a house and move here which I would love to help you with!

1. See the wild horses – Wild horses have roamed in several areas in the Outer Banks for centuries. According to Spanish ship logs it is estimated that the first horses arrived on the Outer Banks around 1520. In order to see the horses you need a 4 wheel drive vehicle and if you don’t own one there are several companies that will take you on a wild horse tour in Corolla, share the history of the horses and place you within a friendly distance of the horses. (it is the law that you cannot be closer than 50 feet from the horse and you are not allowed to feed the wild horses.

2. Visit Jockey’s Ridge State Park – Jockey’s Ridge Park has the largest natural living sand dune on the east coast. It is located in Nags Head and a must see landmark. Take time to fly a kite, hang-glide. Sand slide or even hike one of the trails.

3. Go fishing – Here in the Outer Banks you can choose your fishing adventure from renting a charter, surf fishing or fishing from one of our piers. You are bound to have fun and bring home dinner too!

4. Spend a day on Roanoke Island – From the beautiful Elizabethan Gardens, to the North Carolina Aquarium, onto an evening with The Lost colony. You will find an adventure for everyone in your group.

5. See the Lighthouses – The Outer Banks has several unique lighthouses that you can visit and even climb. Whether you visit one or all of them you will enjoy the unique beauty of each of the lighthouses on the Outer Banks.